No Blacksmiths Series

No Blacksmith's

PPT 1 Series Title

Gods best version of me

What does the best version of you look like?

Happier?

Thinner?

Better relationships?

PPT 2 Today's Message Title

We began our series two weeks ago talking about how God's call is always forward, and you will remember I used the example of a cars gears and asked are you in park, neutral, reverse, or drive? God's best version of you is being in drive. Moving forward, growing in grace, not stuck in a spiritual rut.

Then last week, not only do we need to be reaching forward, but we also need to be very aware that we don't let slip the things God has already given us.

The thief comes for to steal...

Steal what? I am often amazed at how quickly it seems some people forget what was preached. Sometimes it is probably a failure on my part, but I also recognize from Mark 4, the parable of the sower, that there is an enemy who wants to keep God's word from being implanted in your life and producing fruit. Often we think the word is only stolen from unbelievers, experience has taught me otherwise. In fact I think it is stolen more from Christians than it is from those outside the kingdom. The reason is we are exposed to it more than they are, if you are a thief you go where you can make the biggest haul.

Not only the word but sometimes callings and giftings are stolen from people. I know the bible says the gifts of God are irrevocable, but Paul also said to Timothy, "Stir up the gift that is in you..." Timothy hadn't lost it per se, but it was dormant in his life, some things can be so dormant as to make us doubt they exist. The enemy wants to steal any deposit God makes in a persons life. To show you that in the scriptures we looked at a passage in 2nd Kings, and we will be going there again, but first I want to lay out some of our future messages by just talking about what God's best version of you looks like.

You pray with unction.

You serve with compassion

You walk in love

You are full of praise

You are fired up and raring to go.

Here is a word picture of God's best version of Zion:

PPT 3

Isa 52:1 Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city...

It is clothed in strength, it is clothed in beautiful garments.

Clothed in strength, that means being full of the Holy Spirit, living a life that God's presence is being manifest through.

Clothed in beautiful garments, can mean a lot of things, but it means in general you are spiritually dressed sharp. The garment of praise, the beauty of holiness, the joy of the Lord, in the words of Billy Crystal we would say, "You look mah va lous!"

Last week we began looking at a text in 2nd Kings and we are going there again because we have much more to glean from that passage.

PPT 4,5 Text

2 Kings 6:1-7

2Ki 6:1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.

2Ki 6:2 "Please let us go to the Jordan, and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live." So he said, "Go."

2Ki 6:3 Then one said, "Please be willing to go with your servants." And he answered, "I shall go."

2Ki 6:4 So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

2Ki 6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed."

2Ki 6:6 Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw [it] in there, and made the iron float.

2Ki 6:7 And he said, "Take it up for yourself." So he put out his hand and took it.

The point of that message was that a believer can be actively involved in the work of God and his cutting edge can be lost. So while the overall theme of this series is pressing on for the upward call of God, we need to take a little time and be sure that we don't lose what we have already gained. That we don't let the current of the river of life dull our cutting edge, or take from our hands the weapons of our warfare as listed in Ephesians.